The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-19
invoking the arm of the Fedora, authority :,

that galIan, gen sent aaa,s o ond IAm 10
Leagus Of the, City OF New Orleans, is d. due le
the fact that those forces fed that we're IT.
fsa n;ainsg to hold the a., Supreme Court
we're msrshalled under Frederick Nash is
ogden that marched upon the Supreme
Court building. that caused them to
melt away as mists before the sun. AZ
tenpts have been made to obscure the facts
history that would have given Gen. Ogden
the credit which was due-and attempts have
been made to transfer it to other shoulders:
but the record cannot be stamped out and
tne iacts VIII snow, when it comes to an in
vestllgatIon that as long ago as two years this
combination was made to place Francis Il.
Nichols as Governor of this State aud to in.
yoke for his elevation the strong arm of the
Federal power through its patronage. And
humiliation of Gen. Ogden for the postmas-
tership OF New Orleans.
In the
CHARGES THAT ARE MADE AND sowN BROAD
CAST
throughout the State there is one that will
mention before | close. hear it stated from
one end q the State to the other that this
poor weahllng of a Governor from Ouachita
is q good man and an honest man, but he is
under the control and domination of Burke
and some others. l am glad to have this op-
portunity to say-not to defend him from
such charge, because he needs 1t not at my
hands-but ani glad to say i'll his presence,
and before the people of Ouachita that no
man in the State Of Louisiana to-day holds a
commission from Samuel ID. McEncry for Il.
4. burke, No man within the limits of this
State holds a commission from Samuel D.
the Governor. Absurd. / have conferred
with Gov. McEnery on questions affect
ing, the financial policy OF the State,
and it. has always been my pleasure
and PRIDE to cooperate with him III
every effort that would advance and improve
the material interests OF Louisiana. In my
Judgment the interests of the people of Loui-
siana demand an active Governor, a live
man, ldentitied with all Of the material ques-
tons of interest to the State. Not mere
passive man simply to, be chosen because of
his honesty and his integrity and his mega
tive qualities. When I was elected Irpasu-
rer OF this State by the people OF Louisiana,
Gov. Nichols vas Governor of the State, and
called upon him saying:
Il have been elected to this Office, and
lave come to you to say that there have been
many abuses charged against the treasury.
nave 10 desire to invest You with any of the
responsibility of my office. | feel fully equal
to carry them, all; but as the leader of my
party, as the head of the administra ton, /
beg that You will feel a, liberty to make any
suggestion respecting the finances that YOU
may eelleVe to be IN the interest of the i,ec-
PIE OF the state. " he drew the Revised Sta
tuteSS to him that were lying upon the table,
ne PLACED his hand upon them, and he said:
My duty is defined by law, and so is yours.
nave no suggestions to make"
suppose Samuel D. McEnery had laid his
hand upon the Revised Statutes, saying to the
people OF Lou1slana that his duties were de-
tined BY law, and he could go no further when
l, 600. 900 cubic feet OF water were pouring
in over the levees of Louisiana each minute.
what ,Wonld have been the condition OF the
levee districts OF this State to-day il he bad
rested his hand upon the Revised Statutes in
this manner? No. he could not rest there.
Ii there was not law, there must be action to
supplement- the law. He called upon the
people, brought the levee district boards to-
gether, acting In cooperation with the State
Commission, and when he taught his people
the lesson that as soon as they eyincel dis
pcSltlon to help themselves that they would
get aid from abroad. he brought about that
CO operative system which has, at last, re-
stored the fertile fields bordering on the MIS-
sissippi.
There is just
ONE POINT PERSONAL TO MYSELF
that desire to touch upon, and am graft
hed to say that1n many years past it is the
only one, respecting my Office that I have
pee nee1 called upon to answer to tha people of
OF his recent addresses, in the presence Of
Gen: Nichols, took occasion to charge upon
the Treasurer of the. State that Gov. Nichols
had turned over to The Treasurer the notes
OF the peMitentiary lessees for A. coo: that
Gov: Nichols had vetoed an act which au-
precisted warrants, and that the Treasurer
of the State, in defiance of the law and with
out legal authority, had made compromise
settlement with the Penitentiary lessees
paid to the State in lieu of money.
Now let MS look at that statement one mo-
ment. 1t is not a matter of surprise to me
that aIr. McCaleb would have ,nade psrti-
san s statem1ent. but it seems to me an extraor-
up before the people of The State and plead
ignorance of law. Its true that note had
been given for SD, 600 by the Penitentiary
leSsees to the Governor of the State, Francis
turned that note over to the Treasurer Of the
State for custody 1t is true that when itfell
due the note was not paid. 1t il also true
that the Treasurer made demand npon the
New Orleans Pacific road on the pledge of
the note. ihe. New. Orleans Pacific road re-
the obligation to the Eenitentiary lessees
would, not, accrue until The grading of the
road had been completed. The amount of
the clam had grown to s52, 900 by reason Of
pany stated that the ultimate extent of the
liability would be the original s44, 900, the
amount they had admitted q year
before. / reported the facts, to the
Alfred Witt. He instructed me to turn the
papers over to the Attorney General of the
State in order that the proper proceedings
could be taken against the New Orleans Pa
ciiic road to effect settlement. At that
luucture the papers passed out OF my hands.
have the receipt here Of the Attorney Gen
eral for them. he Penitentiary lessees came
forward and proposed to make a settlement
in warrants of the current year-not
q proposition to me, because had
we're out of my hands, the law gave the sole
power OF etfecting compromise to the Aud
itor of the State, and he, upon the opinion
of the Attorney General. as authorized by
the Revised Statutes, section 17S. and with
the approval Of the Governor, covered into
the treasury 500, 900 in the general fund
warrants OF. the. State of the current year,
1880, issued under the new Constitution, in
full for the settlement, instead of entering
ipto tedious Litigation that the Attorney
years and the ultimate amount that he could
realize against the New Orleans Pacific road
would be S44, 900.
Now in conclusion: One year ago. with
shattered health, ! wandered of to the
lie of Spanish Honduras. | climbed the
mountains. rode through their valleys and
everywhere found kindly and generous
people; magnificent rivers, splendid soil,
grand minerals, everything thai should make
a people rich and prosperous and happy. Rid
ing along the border of Lake Yohoa, / came
upon q porphyry pillar. All, said L, what
can this be?" Il was all
EVIDENCE OF FORMER CIVILIZATION.
Passing along to the next town, entered
into conversation with the padre and begged
him to know to what period in the history of
the republic that fallen pillar belonged He
told me of a city-ths City of Copan-on the
north border Of Honduras, where the ruins
exist now of city through whicl, man can
eide Tor fifteen miles without coming to the
limits-a city that in times bygone numbered
. million to million and q Lalf inhabitants.
He told me of a warlike and highly civilized
people that had inhabited that county, he
told me of his researches in the history of this
how they had built temples and cities: how;
they. had built aqueducts and works OF
public improyement and then he, gave
the sequel to their history. Brave and war
like rs they were instead pf 1ayalapinu 4